Here I am playing my favorite instrument the Austrian Zither. I became interested in this beautiful yet challenging instrument while I was doing my yodeling shows at Epcot Center in Florida. I simply fell in love with it's rich mellow sound. It is so different from any other stringed instrument in that it is the only instrument that I know where you perform three tasks with the right hand. You play bass strings with the fourth and fifth fingers. Your play chords and arpeggios with the second and third fingers and you play the melody with the thumb all on the right hand while you fret the melody with the left hand that is played by the thumb on the right hand. Truly a marvelous instrument.

I started experimenting with the zither in the fall of 1987.

During show breaks at Disney I would practice in the green room about 3 hours per day trying to coordinate my two hands and ten fingers in the playing of the zither. Getting my fingers to play strings on the harp section of the zither that were less than and 8th of an inch wide was the hardest to master. Then having to endure the finger pain that was associated with brushing the soles of my fingers over and over the strings hours on end was a task I would never want to again endure.

I have recorded three zither albums over the years that to my surprise have become well received by many people who want to have the peace in their lives that comes from listening to their favorite songs played on this instrument.

To order your copy's please click on the links above and left to listen to audio samples and to receive ordering instructions.

If you are interested in stings for the zither or anything else there is another great person Anne Prinz in the Quad Cites around Davenport Iowa. To contact her for anything about zithers. Here is her email and phone number.

Anne will be talking over the duties of putting out the zither newsletter in the coming years taking over for Janet Stessel. She will add new information to the zithers-usa. com website soon. Until then here is the web address.